Friday, December 20, 2013

Please take a moment to vote! Students were given the task of creating a new logo for the Manchester School District. Two finalists were selected from the twenty-two entries that were received. VOTE NOW: Visit http://www.mansd.org/msd-logo-contest-2013 to submit your vote!

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Happy Holidays! One of the most rewarding things about being a Superintendent is the opportunity to visit schools and attend special events. This time of year is always entertaining and exciting with presentations, special meals, and concerts. If you have ever attended one these events, it is pure joy. Gymnasiums and auditoriums are packed with family and friends abuzz with excitement. Kids are nervous about being on stage and it’s easy to see that wearing a tie or special dress is just a little uncomfortable. Students who have cooked a special meal are so proud to share their culinary talents and soak in every compliment. Every academic presentation by students is learning on display. Students’ voices shake; there is an occasional nervous giggle. And yet, their learning is so evident. Let’s just say, the “cuteness factor is off the charts.” Who can help but smile?

Recently students from Weston and Hillside with their volunteer coaches gave a presentation to the school board as part of the Brickmaster First Lego League Competition. It was worthy of thousands of “likes” on YouTube! During their “Newscast on Channel 9” they shared their research about the preparedness of Manchester citizens during major emergency events like snowstorms and chemical spills. They discovered that our citizens are not always aware of how to prepare and keep themselves safe when these events occur. In working to solve the problem, they created a brochure and a public service announcement about emergency preparedness with information to educate each one of us.

Why has this team been so successful? John Maxwell, who is well known for his study of teams, would probably cite the Law of Significance; one is too small a number to achieve greatness. According to their coach, these students were successful because they invested time, energy, and high levels of communication. Over time they became a highly effective team and won the Judges Award for Community Outreach. This story and hundreds like it, happen in our district everyday.

Please know how important you are in improving the lives of the children in our schools. We have enjoyed a very successful start to our school year. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. Because you are a part of our MSD Team, we are headed in the right direction.

I am proud and humbled to be your Superintendent. May you and your family celebrate the holiday season with joy and peace. From my family to yours, have a very restful and safe holiday season and a Happy New Year.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Hillside Language Arts Teacher, Mrs. Sue Hannan has been named a State Winner in the 2014 Samsung Solve for Tomorrow contest. Her entry was chosen for its innovative approach to advancing interest in STEM among her students as well as making an impact in the Manchester community. In response to Samsung’s award notification, Mrs. Hannan, stated, “This is a unique opportunity for a Manchester school. We will be collaborating with students, colleagues, parents, community members and the media to create a project that spotlights the salmon release project, and will spotlight the health of the Merrimack River as well. While this will be a very involved project, it will assist students in concentrating their writing efforts into producing data analysis, integrating all subjects, and including many local and state standards for education. Students and community members will be involved in a service project that serves everyone.”

As a state winner, Ms. Hannan has already earned a minimum of $20,000 in Samsung technology for Hillside Middle School. Ms. Hannan will now go on to represent New Hampshire in the national competition where she will create a 2 – 3 minute video that brings her lesson plan to life, the opportunity to earn a larger technology package of $35,000 or $140,000 and a chance to come and present her story with other competing schools in March. If she is chosen as one of Samsung’s five National Winners, Mrs. Hannan will also be invited to attend an awards ceremony in Washington D.C. in April. Samsung’s award stated, “ Your commitment to your students and school, as well as to advancing STEM education, is evident through the great work that you are doing. Once again, congratulations on being named a State Winner!”

Brendan McCafferty, Hillside Principal added, “What an outstanding opportunity for our students! We are very proud of Mrs. Hannan's efforts to bring this prize and these opportunities to Hillside. We are very much looking forward to the project.”

Friday, November 22, 2013

Please join the Beech Street School Community on Thursday December 5
from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM. A festival of crafts, games, music and fun
activities will take place for the whole family in the Beech Street
School cafeteria and gym.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Manchester, NH -- Community leaders in Manchester, NH tonight announced a new way of helping students learn the skills that will land them jobs after graduation, including an agreement that provides up to a year or more of college credit for participating high school students.

STEAM Ahead NH is a collaboration between higher education, the Manchester School District and the local business community that – pending formal approval of the city’s Board of School Committee – will launch in the fall of 2014 at Manchester High School West.

“We are very excited about the partnerships being formed through STEAM Ahead NH,” said Christopher Motika, Principal of West High School. “West is a great place with great kids and we are happy to see the Manchester business community, the higher education community, and the West side of Manchester working together to help our students succeed both in and beyond high school. Most importantly, the work that is being done focuses on finding different ways of helping kids and providing access to college and the workplace that some of our students have never seen as a reality. The positive impact of this work will be felt not only at West High School, but throughout the City of Manchester.”

The goal of STEAM Ahead NH is to build upon the strong partnerships between the school district and business community to provide the opportunity for students to graduate from high school with literacy in key technical areas. This will potentially save students and their parents one year of college tuition costs. The steering committee for the project is exploring pathways in allied health, computer technology, performing arts and other pathways to support the STEAM fields.

The laboratory/academy based program will include internship opportunities through local cultural institutions and businesses, while taking advantage of the technology research and development resources. Credits will be earned through a variety of opportunities including concurrent high school and college credit courses, college courses on the college campus and/or high school campus, online and internships in community-based businesses and cultural institutions.

“As a school district it is our responsibility to prepare our students for the future,” said Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas.“This program is an innovative way to do just that. It brings together our faculty, community and businesses to provide our students with both collaborative thinking, technical skills and real world experience. You win the future by preparing for it today. This is a good start.”

Founded by local technology businesses Dyn and SilverTech and former Manchester Mayor, educator and education administrator Robert Baines, STEAM Ahead NH is fueled by a science, technology, engineering and math curriculum to address a skills gap that has many business leaders concerned.

“New Hampshire has a great tech ecosystem but a workforce with the right skill set is needed to keep it sustainable - especially with our in-state net migration now zero,” said Jeremy Hitchcock, CEO of Dyn. “This program will showcase the local workplaces and will help develop our own students into the workforce of tomorrow. Maybe some of them will start a great company as well.”

Noticing a concerning trend in the emerging workforce over the past 17 years, Nick Soggu, CEO of SilverTech, committed himself to helping connect students with STEM-focused opportunities.

“New Hampshire – and Manchester specifically – is only starting to realize its potential as a technology leader,” said Soggu, who is also a Computer Science Professor, software engineer, and member of numerous arts-focused organizations. “By creating, funding and supporting programs such as STEAM Ahead that ignite the spark in students during their formative years, our business, political and education community can ensure future generations are prepared to innovate.”

Proposed key outcomes include literacy in core STEAM foci and participation in advanced courses through the University System of New Hampshire. The true benchmark of success will be the number of students who graduate from the program better prepared for technology jobs here in New Hampshire.

“There are few win-win situations in life,” said Dr. Debra Livingston, Superintendent of the Manchester School District. “This is one of them. Our students will have a first class education. Our teachers will collaborate with college professors. Our business community will have access to some of our brightest minds. And our parents will know their children have a bright future at a more affordable cost.”

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

The Manchester Barnes and Noble book store at 1741 South Willow Street has chosen the Manchester School District to be the recipient of its 2013 Holiday Book Drive. Look for displays at the front of the store in the check out area for "wish list" books as well as suggested items for local schools. Making a donation is as easy as picking up a book and bringing it to the register and Barnes and Noble will deliver purchased books to schools. The holiday drive is taking place from now through December 24.

School Book Fairs at Barnes and Noble

Several schools are also holding Barnes and Nobles Book Fairs throughout the month of December. Barnes and Noble will donate a percentage of the day's cash register receipts to participating schools. Join your community schools for after school and evening events at the Barnes and Noble book store!

The Book Fair schedule:

DATE

School(s)

Bookfair ID

Notes

Thursday, December 5

Webster Elementary

11147394

Support the Webster PTO

Friday, December 6

Highland-Goffe's Falls Elementary

11147386

Don't miss the special storytime event at 7PM! Come in your pajamas and enjoy a reading of the holiday classic The Polar Express, along with fun activities and holiday treats.

Saturday, December 7

Manchester High School West

11123312

West High School Music Supporters - Educator Shopping Day! Bring your school ID to receive 25% off classroom and personal purchases

Monday, December 9

West Side Book Fair

11207479

All West Manchester schools: Gossler Park, Northwest, & Parker- Varney Elementary Schools, Middle School at Parkside and Manchester High School West. Join our principals for read-alouds throughout the evening!

Tuesday, December 10

Manchester Memorial High School

11207487

Support the MMHS library! Join us for tea and crumpets at the Downton Abbey Party starting at 7PM.

Wednesday, December 11

Beech Street Elementary

11207503

Support Beech Street School and Community Center

Tasty Cheesecake, too!

Looking to lighten your holiday workload? Let Barnes and Noble help with your baking! All orders for The Cheesecake Factory whole cheesecakes will count towards Book Fair receipts. Order and pay for a cheesecake during a Book Fair event and designate the date and time you would like to pick up your cheesecake. Orders placed by Friday are delivered to the store on Monday - pick up your freshly frozen cheesecake throughout the week at your convenience.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Southern New Hampshire Services, Manchester's newest education and job training program for 18-24 year old students who are looking to complete their high school diploma, is now taking applications for their innovative, paid training/education program in Manchester. YouthBuild specializes in transferring skills in the construction trades to students who work together to build affordable housing in the community, and students earn high school credit while doing it. Students in YouthBuild also receive a small stipend while participating.

The program is funded though a U.S. Department of Labor grant and partnered with the City of Manchester, Manchester Community College, Manchester Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Manchester Community Resource Center, the Office of Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and local developer Anagnost Companies.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

EPSOM NH: On Tuesday, September 3rd, 2013, while schools were bustling with activity getting ready for the first day back, the NRRA School Recycling CLUB staff, NH the Beautiful (NHtB) board members, and City of Manchester and school employees were adding to the hubbub by placing 400 brand new recycling bins in every classroom at Central High School, Hillside Middle School and Weston Elementary School. Having brand new blue recycling bins in every classroom and office area, to coincide with blue toters now being used by the city for recycling, is just the first step of several in this pilot recycling program.

Central, Hillside and Weston volunteered to be part of the pilot program that will be conducted over the next school year. The overall goal is to help implement a more efficient and sustainable recycling program in each school. This program will help increase recycling and reduce waste, thereby decreasing disposal costs for the school district. It will also increase awareness and help motivate and empower students and staff to make a difference and improve their environment. The pilot program is being sponsored by the NRRA School Recycling CLUB and made possible by funds donated by NHtB, with cooperation from the Manchester School District, the City of Manchester, Waste Management and Aramark. Hands on, school-wide activities, including educational workshops will also be part of this program. For more information on this and other programs offered by the NRRA School Recycling CLUB, visit www.schoolrecycling.net.

The School Recycling CLUB (The CLUB) is a program for all schools in the Northeast and is supported by NRRA and NHtB. The CLUB serves as a centralized resource for school recycling programs and recycling education for students and teachers in grades K-12. It also provides encouragement, direction and networking opportunities. The CLUB offers fun and innovative ways to help students and staff integrate recycling into their everyday activities, including classroom curricula.

The Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) is a proactive, non-profit organization working with its membership to reduce waste and create strong, efficient and financially successful recycling programs. For more information, visit www.nrra.net. For high-resolution pictures, please email info@nrra.net or call (603) 736-4401.

New Hampshire the Beautiful, Inc. (NHtB) is a longtime supporter of the NRRA School Recycling CLUB and environmental education in NH. NHtB (www.nhthebeautiful.org) is a private non-profit charitable trust founded in 1983 and supported by the soft drink, malt beverage, and grocery industries of New Hampshire. NHtB offers municipal recycling grants and recycling education grants annually and since its inception has awarded over $2.5 million in direct grant support of NH’s recycling efforts. Recycling signs, anti-litter programs, recycling bins, clearstream containers, technical assistance and countless hours of their time are all hallmarks of the outstanding work of the NHtB Board of Directors. NHtB is a unique organization that represents a voluntarily-funded alternative to expensive legislation intended to achieve the same end results.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

David Ryan returns to Manchester as its next Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction after serving as principal of Nashua High School North since 2006 where he was recognized as the 2012 Charles A.Napoli New Hampshire State Principal of the Year and one of three 2013 NASSP/MetLife National Principal of the Year Finalists. As a 2009 Phi Delta Kappa Emerging Leader Ryan led his school through its first New England Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation, reduced it failure and drop out rates significantly, and increased the number of students enrolling in two and four year colleges upon graduation. Ryan served as an assistant principal at Manchester High School Central from 2000-2006, is a member of the National Principals Advisory Panel for the College Board and sits on the Advisory Board of the School of Education at Southern New Hampshire University. He holds the Ed.S. in Education Administration from the University of New Hampshire, the M.Ed. in School Leadership from Boston College, and B.A. in English from Plymouth State University. Ryan is married to Maura Ryan and presently they raise their three boys, Aidan, Eamonn and Declan in Hooksett, NH.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Manchester Public Schools Welcome Students Back on Wednesday, September 4, 2013.

Please note school hours for preschool, elementary and middle school students have changed. Our school calendar has also changed from a 180 day school year to a 175 day school year. School calendars will be distributed to all students. Should you not receive a school calendar please visit the District website at www.mansd.org/calendar or request one from your child’s school.

For your child’s safety please ensure that your child does not arrive at school prior to the arrival time indicated below:

Thursday, August 22, 2013

The new Student Accident Medical Insurance Protection brochure can be found online. This brochure contains the enrollment form and instructions for completion and submission. It will also contain a claim form so that parents who enroll their child can access the form at any time. Please direct all inquiries in regard to insurance coverage directly to the insurance provider.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

With the support of the Manchester Community, Hillside Middle School, and Hooksett Kiwanis ther Builders Club will be hosting the second annual Luke Capistran 5K Road Race / Fun Walk and Kids Run. Builders Club is a Service/Student Leadership Organization that mentors and encourages students to become leaders in their community. The Builders Club is sponsored by the Hooksett Kiwanis Foundation.

This year a discounted rate is offered for educators in the Manchester School District: $10 pre-registration.

The Builders Club would like to make this a grand community event and is asking for your support in regard to advertisement/sponsorship for the Luke 5K. The club would like the opportunity to meet with you to further discuss their needs and provide you with any other information you might need to promote the extraordinary event.

Driver Education registrations at Memorial High School will take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 8 - 8:30 AM in the cafeteria untilschool starts. After the start of the school year, one can register in the cafe from 7:15 - 7:30 AM every Friday. PLEASE do not bring your registrations to the main office.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The 2013-14 Driver Education Schedule is now available for viewing. Registration begins on Tuesday, August 20 and is ongoing until the class is full and on a first come, first served basis. Class begins on Sept.12 and tentatively ends on Oct. 24. Click here for more details and a full schedule.

The City of Manchester will be hosting its 37th Annual Employees Golf Tournament on Saturday September 14th at Derryfield Country Club. This tournament will begin with an 8:00 am "shotgun" start and finish with a BBQ lunch and raffle starting at 1:30 pm at McIntyre Ski area. Please consider participating in this fun filled event and share fellowship with other City employees. Attached are the following golf tournament documents:

We encourage you to distribute the sponsorship form to friends of the City.Tournament sponsorship is the key to the success of this event. Please ask our friends of the City to support the employees that educate their children, patrol our streets, fight our fires, and create the clean and safe environment that makes Manchester such a desirable city to live and work in.

QUESTIONS: If you have any questions, or require any additional information, please direct all inquiries to Fred McNeill at fmcneill@manchesternh.gov. We look forward to seeing you on September 14th at the City of Manchester's 37th Annual Employees Golf Tournament.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

We are looking forward to a new school year! The Manchester School District is committed to creating a healthy environment that enhances the development of lifelong wellness practices, promotes healthy eating and physical activities that support student achievement, and complies with federal mandates regulating school food and nutrition before, during, and after school.

Friday, July 12, 2013

The 2012-13 school year has ended and the Family Portal will be closing for the summer as we prepare for the 2013-14 year. It will become available again when school re-opens in September. Please visit the Family Portal information located under 'For Parents' under the Quick Links section of this website for more details about the Family Portal. You can also bookmark http://aspenportal.mansd.org/ for convenient access to Family Portal information at all times.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Please find the audit report link at the bottom of this announcement from CMSi, which was presented by Dr. Judy Birmingham to the Curriculum & Instruction and Strategic Planning committees on June 26. For helpful background on how to read and understand the report, we would recommend reviewing either the tv coverage of the meeting, or the minutes from the meeting which will be forthcoming.

In reviewing the document, please note that this audit was structured like a financial audit, in that the auditors evaluated the Manchester School District against five standards, and evaluated our performance against those standards, using multiple criteria for each standard. As Dr.Birmingham noted last night, the auditors were not engaged in comparing us to other districts, but rather in measuring the district against established objective criteria.

The report has been forwarded to the full Board of School Committee, and will most likely be discussed at the August 12th meeting. Following that discussion, the members of the two committees are hopeful that this report can serve as the basis for an action plan for the Board, Dr.Livingston, and the district as a whole.

As a final note, to paraphrase Dr. Birmingham's concluding comment last night: Nothing in the report suggests that anyone in the Manchester School District - staff, administrators, Board members - needs to work harder. Rather, the report suggests how we can move forward to focus our hard work to achieve the outcomes we desire for our district and our students. Thank you.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

This morning in a special meeting of the Board of School Committee Superintendent Search Committee Chairman Ted Rokas announced Dr. Debra Livingston was chosen as the next Superintendent for the Manchester School District – SAU 37. “We are pleased with the success of this search and believe that the extensive vetting and interview process led us to the right candidate for the job. By a unanimous vote of the Board of School Committee Dr. Debra Livingston was chosen to lead our district,” began Rokas.

Dr. Livingston is the current Superintendent of the Fall Mountain Regional School District (SAU 60 – Alstead, Charlestown area schools). Prior to her tenure at Fall Mountain she was the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction in Socorro Independent School District in El Paso Texas with over 37,000 students.

Manchester Mayor, and School Board Chairman Ted Gatsas added, “I have total confidence that Dr. Livingston’s experience and skill set makes her the right leader for the Manchester School District at this time. The district is in a period of transition and she has proven to the membership of the Board of School Committee that she is ready, willing and able. I look forward to welcoming her to our community and working with her to implement her vision for the district.”

Dr. Livingston commented, “I am honored and humbled to be chosen as the next Superintendent for the Manchester School District. The time spenthere over the past few days have been exciting and rewarding. I look forward to working with the dedicated passionate, and committed stakeholders of the Manchester School District and the City of Manchester, Together we will move forward for the benefit of all Manchester’s children.”

Dr. Livingston will begin her tenure as the Superintendent of Schools for the Manchester School District (SAU 37) on July 1, 2013. She willreceive a negotiated salary of $160, 000. Currently Dr. Livingston resides in Charlestown, New Hampshire and will relocate to Manchesterwithin 180 days.

“In the next week the Superintendent Search Committee will finalize our task by putting together a group of community leaders to welcome andintroduce Dr. Livingston into the Manchester community. We believe that this last step is essential to Dr. Livingston’s success and ask thecommunity to welcome her with open arms,” concluded Rokas.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

The Manchester School District announced on Monday, April 8 that the 2013-14 school calendar has been set after the Manchester Board of School Committee approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the school district and the Manchester Education Association (MEA).

Under the new hours-based calendar, the amount of time that a student spends in the classroom will increase to 1050 hours per year. Under the old calendar a student spent 990 hours per year in the classroom.

The 2013-14 school year will begin on Wednesday, September 4, 2013. The last day of class is scheduled for Thursday, June 12, 2014.

The normal February and April vacations remain in place under the new calendar.

The number of professional development days for teachers will also increase under the new calendar. Currently teachers have 3 full professional development days. Under the new calendar they will have 6 full professional development days.

The full 2013-14 calendar and the new start and end times for elementary, middle and high school students is attached to this release. See attachment at bottom of this page: click the title to view in the web-based file viewer; click the down arrow to the right of the file to download a PDF.

The Memorandum of Understanding was negotiated by the School Board's Subcommittee on Negotiations and the MEA's bargaining team. This agreement represents a major step forward for students attending Manchester School District schools. The Board's Subcommittee on Negotiations appreciates the efforts of the MEA in reaching this agreement.

Negotiations between the school district and the MEA over a new contract are ongoing.